First Lady Abigail Smith

Female 1744 - 1818  (73 years)


Generations:      Standard    |    Compact    |    Vertical    |    Text    |    Register    |    PDF

Generation: 1

  1. 1.  First Lady Abigail Smith was born on 23 Nov 1744 in Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 28 Oct 1818 in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 28 Oct 1818 in United First Parish Church, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

    Other Events:

    • FamilySearch ID: MVPS-Q4H
    • FindaGrave Memorial ID: 4
    • Group: Famous Historical Figure

    Notes:

    From FindaGrave:

    First Lady of the United States. She was the wife of second United States President John Adams, and the mother of sixth United States President John Quincy Adams.

    Born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, on her mother's side she was descended from early prestigious leaders of the colony.

    Having received a basic education from her mother, Abigail and her sisters were largely self-taught by utilizing the extensive libraries of their father, grandfather and uncle. An avid reader, Abigail formed a strong bond with her third cousin, John Adams, who was a Harvard graduate, and they were married in 1764; three sons and two daughters were born to this union, which was to last more than fifty years.

    John's traveling as a circuit judge, a delegate to the Continental Congress and an envoy abroad led to long separations, and Abigail's many letters, written just a she spoke, with clarity, told the vivid story of a woman who stayed at home dealing with wartime shortages, running a farm with minimal help and educating her children. Even before the colonies had declared their independence from Britain, Abigail wrote to John to urge him to "Remember the ladies" when drafting the basis of law for the new nation and to not give husbands unlimited power over their wives. Abigail joined John in Paris in 1784 when he was named Ambassador, and she took great interest in the customs of the French Royal Court.

    When her husband became the first Vice President of the United States, she and the President's wife, Martha Washington, became good friends. Abigail was of great assistance in the official entertaining because of the experience she had gained from the courts and society abroad.

    When John Adams was elected President, she managed to continue a formal pattern of entertaining in spite of the primitive conditions of the "President's House" (now known as the White House), which was still under construction.

    After John Adams's presidential term ended in 1801, they retired to Quincy, Massachusetts and enjoyed seventeen years of companionship that they had longed for during the years of public life. Abigail's correspondence is feted for exhibiting strong leadership of Women's Rights.

    Bio by: D C McJonathan-Swarm

    FamilySearch ID:
    https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MVPS-Q4H

    FindaGrave Memorial ID:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4

    Group:
    Famous People

    Abigail married President John Adams on 25 Oct 1764 in Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. John (son of Deacon John Adams, Sr. and Susannah Boylston) was born on 19 Oct 1735 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 4 Jul 1826 in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 4 Jul 1826 in Hancock Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 2. Abigail Amelia "Nabby" Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 11 Jul 1765 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 11 Jul 1765 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 15 Aug 1813 in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 15 Aug 1813 in Hancock Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
    2. 3. President John Quincy Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 11 Jul 1767 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 12 Jul 1767 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 23 Feb 1848 in Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia; was buried after 23 Feb 1848 in Hancock Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
    3. 4. Grace Susanna "Suky" Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 28 Dec 1768 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 1 Jan 1769 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; died on 4 Feb 1770 in Massachusetts.
    4. 5. Charles Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 29 May 1770 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 3 Jun 1770 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; died on 30 Nov 1800 in Manhattan, New York County, New York; was buried on 2 Dec 1800 in First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, New York County, New York.
    5. 6. Judge Thomas Boylston Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 15 Sep 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 20 Sep 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 12 Mar 1832 in Quincy Neck, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 12 Mar 1832 in Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
    6. 7. Elizabeth Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 11 Jul 1777 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 11 Jul 1777 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.


Generation: 2

  1. 2.  Abigail Amelia "Nabby" AdamsAbigail Amelia "Nabby" Adams Descendancy chart to this point (1.Abigail1) was born on 11 Jul 1765 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 11 Jul 1765 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 15 Aug 1813 in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 15 Aug 1813 in Hancock Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

    Other Events:

    • FamilySearch ID: M4BC-KCM
    • FindaGrave Memorial ID: 7683041
    • Group: Descendant of Mayflower Passenger
    • Group: Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
    • Group: Mayflower - John Alden & Priscilla Mullins

    Notes:

    From FindaGrave:

    Nabby Adams Smith was the eldest child and only surviving daughter of John and Abigail Adams and the sister of John Quincy Adams. She married William Stephens Smith in London on June 12, 1786 while her parents were in residence there but the marriage was not a happy one. Abandoned on numerous occasions while her husband went "seeking his fortune", Nabby showed herself to be a true child of her parents, strong-willed, uncomplaining and able to keep herself and her children together under one roof, earning the unstinting respect of John and Abigail and of John Quincy, who loved her dearly ... one of the few people he did love dearly.

    In October of 1811, Nabby discovered a lump in her breast and a mastectomy was performed without any anesthesia. Her parents were holding her hands during the brutal surgery and, according to John, she never cried out once. After recuperating at the Adams homestead in Quincy, she returned to her dreary life in New York. But the cancer proved too much for even Nabby's resilient spirit and, in the summer of 1813, in agony, she returned to her parents in Quincy and died in The Old Homestead. The elderly John Adams grieved in a letter to his old friend Thomas Jefferson: "Your friend, my only Daughter, expired, Yesterday Morning .... in the 49th Year of her age, 46 of which She was the healthiest and firmest of Us all: Since which, She has been a monument to Suffering and to Patience." It has been said that neither John nor Abigail ever truly recovered from her death.

    Cause of death: Breast cancer

    FamilySearch ID:
    https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/M4BC-KCM

    FindaGrave Memorial ID:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7683041

    Group:
    Passenger or Descendant of the Mayflower

    Group:
    DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran

    Group:
    Descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullin of the Mayflower

    Family/Spouse: Col. William Stephens Smith. William (son of John Smith and Margaret Stephens) was born on 8 Nov 1755 in Suffolk County, New York; died on 10 Jun 1816 in Lebanon, Madison County, New York; was buried after 10 Jun 1816 in Sherburne West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne, Chenango County, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  2. 3.  President John Quincy AdamsPresident John Quincy Adams Descendancy chart to this point (1.Abigail1) was born on 11 Jul 1767 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 12 Jul 1767 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 23 Feb 1848 in Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia; was buried after 23 Feb 1848 in Hancock Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

    Other Events:

    • FamilySearch ID: KNCR-GGS
    • FindaGrave Memorial ID: 3119
    • Group: Descendant of Mayflower Passenger
    • Group: Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
    • Group: Famous Historical Figure
    • Group: Mayflower - John Alden & Priscilla Mullins
    • Group: Veteran or Patriot of Revolutionary War
    • Occupation: 6th President of the United States
    • Cenotaph: Aft 23 Feb 1848, Congressional Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia
    • Reburial: Aft 23 Feb 1848, United First Parish Church, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts

    Notes:

    John Quincy Adams nickname was Old Man Eloquent.

    John Quincy Adams served in the capacity of President of the United States from 1825 to 1829.  Was a member of the House of Representatives in 1830 after being defeated in the 1828 election for President.  On February 21, 1848, John Quincy
    Adams, suffered a stroke at the age of 84 on the floor of the house and was carried to a nearby chamber where he died two days later.  Doctors considered it too dangerous to move him.

    His Vice President was John C. Calhoun.
    _________

    From FindaGrave:

    6th United States President, Presidential Cabinet Secretary, US Congressman. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he served as the 6th President of the United States from 1825 until 1829. He served as the 8th United States Secretary of State during the Administration of James Monroe (1817 until 1825). He represented the State of Massachusetts 11th Congressional District (1831 to 1833), 12th Congressional District (1833 until 1843) and 8th Congressional District (1843 until his death in 1848) in the United States House of Representatives. John Adams and John Quincy Adams are the first father and son to serve as US Presidents and were the only to do so until George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

    The second child of John and Abigail Adams, he witnessed through the brilliance of his father the establishment of the United States first hand. A founding father of the United States, John Adams went on to become the Second President of the United States. During his teenage years, he acquired experience as a negotiator as he accompanied his father on overseas trips. He studied Law at Harvard College and became fluent in several languages.

    He wed Louisa Catherine Johnson in 1797. She held the distinction as being the only First Lady (prior to Melania Trump who became First Lady in 2017) to be born outside the United States. Their union produced three sons who lived to adulthood.

    When his father was elected president, John Quincy served as the Minister to Prussia from 1797 to 1801. In 1802, he served as State Senator of Massachusetts and was elected (as a Federalist) and served as US Senator from Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1803 until 1808. He was appointed Minister of Russia during the Administration of James Madison from 1809 until 1814. In 1814, Adams served as Chief Negotiator of the Treaty of Ghent and was a key figure in the negotiation process for which ended the War of 1812. From 1815 to 1817, he served as Minister to Great Britain. During his tenure as US Secretary of State, Adams achieved the purchase of Florida from Spain for which became known as The Adams-Onis Treaty in 1819. Additionally, he was a proponent of the "Monroe Doctrine" which warned European nations not to interfere in affairs of the Western Hemisphere.

    The US Presidential Election of 1824 saw Adams pitted against war hero Andrew Jackson, William Crawford and Henry Clay. Without a decisive victor to the election, the House of Representatives, was then tasked with deciding the winner. Henry Clay decided to back Adams for which aided in John Quincy Adams becoming president.

    During his tenure, he prioritized the strengthening of infrastructure for which included a network of canals, roadways and the establishment of a national university. He supported participation in the Panama Congress in 1826 and that same year, he appointed Robert Trimble to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court.

    Adams was defeated for reelection by Andrew Jackson in 1828. After he left the presidency, he served in the United States House of Representatives for seventeen years. During his tenure in Congress, Adams often found himself in the minority of causes. He supported the continuation of the Bank of the United States and was opposed to the annexation of Texas. He voted against the declaration of war with Mexico in 1846.

    Adams suffered a massive stroke (he suffered a mild stroke in 1846) after casting a vote to oppose a proposal to decorate certain generals who served during the Mexican War. He died two days later and was buried in his family's tomb in Quincy, Massachusetts.

    Bio by: C.S.

    FamilySearch ID:
    https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KNCR-GGS

    FindaGrave Memorial ID:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3119

    Group:
    Passenger or Descendant of the Mayflower

    Group:
    DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran

    Group:
    Famous People

    Group:
    Descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullin of the Mayflower

    Group:
    Revolutionary War Patriot or Soldier.

    Cenotaph:
    FindaGrave ID #22633912.

    Reburial:
    Findagrave ID #7

    John married First Lady Louisa Catherine Johnson on 26 Jul 1797 in London, Middlesex, England. Louisa was born on 12 Feb 1775 in London, Middlesex, England; died on 15 May 1852 in Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia; was buried after 15 May 1852 in United First Parish Church, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 8. George Washington Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 12 Apr 1801 in Berlin, ____, Berlin, Germany; died on 30 Apr 1829 in New York.
    2. 9. John Adams, II  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 4 Jul 1803 in Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia; died on 23 Oct 1834 in Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia.
    3. 10. Charles Francis Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 18 Aug 1807 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; died on 21 Nov 1886 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
    4. 11. Louisa Catherine Adams  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 12 Aug 1811 in Saint Petersburg, ____, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia; died on 15 Sep 1812 in Saint Petersburg, ____, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia.

  3. 5.  Charles AdamsCharles Adams Descendancy chart to this point (1.Abigail1) was born on 29 May 1770 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 3 Jun 1770 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; died on 30 Nov 1800 in Manhattan, New York County, New York; was buried on 2 Dec 1800 in First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, New York County, New York.

    Other Events:

    • FamilySearch ID: LLCM-V1Z
    • FindaGrave Memorial ID: 20772235
    • Group: Descendant of Mayflower Passenger
    • Group: Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
    • Group: Mayflower - John Alden & Priscilla Mullins

    Notes:

    From FindaGrave:

    2nd son of the second President of the United States, John Adams, and his wife Abigail Smith Adams.

    Charles' early life was adventuresome, as he traveled abroad with his father and older brother John Quincy, even returning on his own and becoming "lost" for a period of time. He was trained as lawyer, attending Harvard, and set up practice in New York City.

    He married Sarah Smith, the sister of his brother in law, William Smith, who had married Abigail "Nabby" Adams.

    He became involved in dubious business dealings, and many written articles question various aspects of his life, relationships, and dealings. As with others in the family, he relied upon alcohol to divert himself, eventually succumbing to its effects.

    He and Sarah had two daughters, Susannah and Abigail.

    Charles' father ahborred Charles' lifestyle and its affects, and near the end of Charles' life, wrote him off as unworthy of his attention, love and respect.

    Charles died in despair at the young age of 30. Estranged from his family due to his father's opinions, he was not allowed to be buried in the family plot, as it was preferred that he simply be put to the past and forgotten. Another Find-A-Grave Memorial indicates burial at the family plot in the Hancock Cemetery in Quincy, MA, which is incorrect.

    An account of his death at the time [ W. W. (Wesley Washington) Pasko. Old New York : a journal relating to the history and antiquities of New York City] indicates that he was buried on 2 Dec 1800, with full military honors, in the "Old Presbyterian Burial Ground". This is assumed to be the original location of the First Presbyterian Church at 5 Wall Street, NYC. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1835, and remains were re-interred at other locations, many being moved to Green-Wood Cemetery. His present burial site is unknown, though we continue to search so that he may be properly remembered.

    Bio by: Peter J. Talbot

    FamilySearch ID:
    https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LLCM-V1Z

    FindaGrave Memorial ID:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20772235

    Group:
    Passenger or Descendant of the Mayflower

    Group:
    DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran

    Group:
    Descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullin of the Mayflower

    Family/Spouse: Sarah Smith. Sarah (daughter of John Smith and Margaret Stephens) was born on 6 Nov 1769 in New York; died on 3 Aug 1828 in Utica, Oneida County, New York; was buried after 3 Aug 1828 in Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  4. 6.  Judge Thomas Boylston AdamsJudge Thomas Boylston Adams Descendancy chart to this point (1.Abigail1) was born on 15 Sep 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was christened on 20 Sep 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; died on 12 Mar 1832 in Quincy Neck, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 12 Mar 1832 in Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

    Other Events:

    • FamilySearch ID: LLCM-V1D
    • FindaGrave Memorial ID: 40460791
    • Group: Descendant of Mayflower Passenger
    • Group: Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
    • Group: Mayflower - John Alden & Priscilla Mullins

    Notes:

    From FindaGrave:

    Thomas Boylston Adams was the third and youngest son of John and Abigail (Smith) Adams. Thomas' father John was the 2nd President of the United States and his brother John Quincy was the 6th President of the United States

    Adams lived with relatives in Haverhill, Massachusetts during his father's diplomatic missions in Europe, after Abigail Adams joined him in 1784. He graduated from Harvard University in 1790 and studied law at his family's behest, but brother John Quincy Adams did not believe he had the skills to practice law successfully.

    Adams accompanied his brother John Quincy in The Netherlands and Prussia from 1794 to 1798, serving as his secretary. In 1805, Thomas Adams married Ann Harrod of Haverhill and settled in Quincy, which he represented in the Massachusetts legislature in 1805-06. In 1811, he was appointed chief justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Southern Circuit of Massachusetts.

    FamilySearch ID:
    https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LLCM-V1D

    FindaGrave Memorial ID:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40460791

    Group:
    Passenger or Descendant of the Mayflower

    Group:
    DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran

    Group:
    Descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullin of the Mayflower

    Thomas married Ann "Nancy" Harrod on 16 May 1805. Ann was born on 25 Apr 1774 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts; died on 3 Sep 1845 in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried after 3 Sep 1845 in Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]